Gaetz to stress education this legislative session

Published: Sunday, February 16, 2014 at 07:39 PM.

Don Gaetz got his start in politics as an Okaloosa County School Board member and superintendent.

As state Senate President, education remains a top priority.

“Expanding pathways out of poverty through education” is one of five items Gaetz and state House Speaker Will Weatherford are emphasizing this legislative session in their joint work plan.

Gaetz said his aim is to freeze tuition increases for Florida colleges and universities and “substantially reduce automatic cost increases that apply to Florida pre-paid.”

Parents can pre-pay for tuition and room and board to help save on college costs, but a law “passed years ago” allows schools to raise tuition for the Florida Pre-Paid program by 15 percent a year.

“This year we want to eliminate or substantially decrease the automatic tuition increase,” Gaetz said.

He estimated an average per-family savings of $10,000 off a new contract.

Gaetz said he and Weatherford also will strive to “double down” on career technical education.

They want to allow students to take as many Career and Professional Education (CAPE) courses as they like and plan to provide funding for a $500 per completion stipend per school.

“Our goal is to have 200,000 Florida middle and high school students earn industry certifications in the next two years,” Gaetz said.

There are 62,000 students enrolled in CAPE academies, where they study such diverse professional topics as biomedical technology and welding, Gaetz said. The program was started in Okaloosa County when Gaetz was superintendent of schools.

Gaetz and Weatherford also plan to establish a $200 million “performance pool” designed to encourage college students and educators to move from entrance to graduation in a reasonable period of time.

“If you look at our state universities now, at one just 9 percent of students pursuing a four-year degree finished in four years. The best showing is a university at which 62 percent finish in four years, and overall fewer than half finish four year degrees in four years,” he said.

The plan is to provide “more funding to those universities who help students graduate, not within four years, but within six,” Gaetz said.

Funding will be contingent on the school providing evidence its graduating students are able to find work after graduation, Gaetz said.

Don Gaetz got his start in politics as an Okaloosa County School Board member and superintendent.

As state Senate President, education remains a top priority.

“Expanding pathways out of poverty through education” is one of five items Gaetz and state House Speaker Will Weatherford are emphasizing this legislative session in their joint work plan.

Gaetz said his aim is to freeze tuition increases for Florida colleges and universities and “substantially reduce automatic cost increases that apply to Florida pre-paid.”

Parents can pre-pay for tuition and room and board to help save on college costs, but a law “passed years ago” allows schools to raise tuition for the Florida Pre-Paid program by 15 percent a year.

“This year we want to eliminate or substantially decrease the automatic tuition increase,” Gaetz said.

He estimated an average per-family savings of $10,000 off a new contract.

Gaetz said he and Weatherford also will strive to “double down” on career technical education.

They want to allow students to take as many Career and Professional Education (CAPE) courses as they like and plan to provide funding for a $500 per completion stipend per school.

“Our goal is to have 200,000 Florida middle and high school students earn industry certifications in the next two years,” Gaetz said.

There are 62,000 students enrolled in CAPE academies, where they study such diverse professional topics as biomedical technology and welding, Gaetz said. The program was started in Okaloosa County when Gaetz was superintendent of schools.

Gaetz and Weatherford also plan to establish a $200 million “performance pool” designed to encourage college students and educators to move from entrance to graduation in a reasonable period of time.

“If you look at our state universities now, at one just 9 percent of students pursuing a four-year degree finished in four years. The best showing is a university at which 62 percent finish in four years, and overall fewer than half finish four year degrees in four years,” he said.

The plan is to provide “more funding to those universities who help students graduate, not within four years, but within six,” Gaetz said.

Funding will be contingent on the school providing evidence its graduating students are able to find work after graduation, Gaetz said.